ACLU is suing Pennsylvania county for denying mail-in ballots.
WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA – In a recent turn of events, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has taken a stand against Washington County in Pennsylvania. The organization has filed a lawsuit alleging that 259 eligible voters in the county have been “disenfranchised” due to errors in their presidential primary mail-in ballots that were not communicated to them.
The lawsuit, represented by seven voters, the Washington Branch NAACP, and the Center for Coalfield Justice, arises from the decision made by the Washington County Board of Elections prior to the 2024 primary election. The board chose to conceal errors on mail ballot return envelopes from voters, leading to their votes being disqualified.
According to the ACLU, the voters were not notified of these errors, denying them the opportunity to rectify the situation by either requesting a new mail ballot or casting a provisional ballot at their polling place.
The ACLU filed the lawsuit in Washington County’s Court of Common Pleas, stating that the conduct of the Washington County Board of Elections amounts to a procedural due process violation of the Pennsylvania Constitution. The lawsuit highlights the deliberate concealment of information about disqualifying errors on mail-in ballot envelopes that was previously communicated to voters.
Instead of following their prior policy of informing voters about mistakes on their ballot envelopes and allowing them to correct these errors, the Board chose to withhold this crucial information. The lawsuit alleges that the Board entered false information into Pennsylvania’s Statewide Uniform Registry of Electors system, making it appear as though defective mail ballots were accepted when they were actually disqualified.
In addition, the Board instructed election office staff not to provide any information to voters inquiring about the status of their mail-in ballots. This lack of transparency and misleading information prevented voters from knowing that their ballots would not be counted.
As a result, the ACLU claims that 259 voters in Washington County have been disenfranchised by the mishandling of their primary ballots. The plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit are seeking a court order to compel the county to be transparent about voters’ errors on mail-in ballot return packets and to update the state system to notify voters of any disqualifying mistakes prior to Election Day in future elections.
The ACLU’s efforts in this lawsuit underscore the importance of upholding the integrity of the electoral process and ensuring that every vote counts. Stay tuned for updates on this developing situation as the legal battle unfolds.
